A Greek Tragicomedy
by Calcitrix
Summary: A Group of Joes is sent to Greece to spy on Cobra. FlintLady Jaye, Scarlett, Cover Girl, Shipwreck, Torpedo. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Flint sat down in the briefing room, opening the folder that had been placed on his seat. Around him, the other Joes were doing the same as they waited for Duke to fill them in on the upcoming mission. The folder contained a very detailed map of the Greek Islands, information on some of the ruins found there, and a few photographs of Cobra agents who had been spotted in the area.

He looked up as Duke cleared his throat. "As you may have guessed from the information in your folders," Duke began, "Cobra was seen traveling between some of the uninhabited islands belonging to Greece two weeks ago. The government asked us to look into it, but until a few days ago, our agent saw no signs of any Cobra activity." He turned and brought up a map on the overhead screen. "There are 1400 islands in Greece, and fewer than 200 have settlements. Most only have ruins, if that." He advanced the slide to show a close-up of the tiny islands where Cobra had been seen. "This area south of Astipalea seems to interest them, but we don't know why. You're going to go have a look."

Duke advanced the projector again, sat down in his chair, and continued his briefing. "Lady Jaye has been sending back reports for the last two weeks, and it looks like whatever Cobra has been looking for, they found it. They've apparently set up a temporary base on this small island here." He pointed to the screen, which showed a speck that hardly looked big enough to even hold a base. "We've got the Greek government's full cooperation on this. We'll be joining Lady Jaye tomorrow at the home of—" he looked down at a sheet of paper, "Alexios Theophilus." Duke looked up at Cover Girl's sound of surprise. "What?" he asked.

She closed her mouth and shook her head. "Nothing." Scarlett glanced over at her, too, but Cover Girl kept her attention on the map.

"Mr. Theophilus has been gracious enough to let us stay in his mansion, and will even let us use his yacht so that Cobra doesn't notice us. In other words, we're going undercover for now. Tourists, as usual. Let's all be on our best behavior, okay?" He gave a meaningful look toward Shipwreck, who was folding one of the sheets into a paper airplane.

Everyone in the room rose to leave. Scarlett rounded on Cover Girl and asked, "What was that all about?" Flint took a moment to straighten the papers in his folder as the others filed from the room.

Cover Girl giggled. "Alexios Theophilus is one of the world's most eligible bachelors, Scarlett. Don't you ever read magazines?"

Scarlett laughed. "Not those kinds. What, is he good looking?"

Rolling her eyes, Cover Girl replied, "I met him at a party once. He's the most handsome man I've ever seen. He's also funny, smart, and really, really rich. I hear he's a bit of a womanizer, though."

The two women shared a look. "And Lady Jaye's been alone with him for two weeks?" Scarlett asked. They burst into a fit of giggles and walked out the door.

Flint followed, frowning. The women didn't seem to notice his presence. "Do you think she would--?" Cover Girl asked.

"I don't know. Is he really that handsome?" Scarlett replied.

"Oh, yeah. He is drop dead gorgeous."

Scarlett shook her head. "Still. I don't think Lady Jaye's the type…"

Cover Girl laughed. "Scarlett, if she managed to resist his charms for more than a day, she's not human."

Flint increased his pace and brushed by the two women, stalking down the hall. He looked furious. "What's wrong with him?" Cover Girl asked.

The two shared another look. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

The flight into Astipalea was uneventful. They had taken a commercial flight, as the Greek government did not want American army planes landing on one of the popular tourist islands. Each of them had packed all the gear they would need, and the Flagg was on route to the Mediterranean and from there had special permission to enter the waters of the Sea of Crete. Until it arrived, however, the team would be on its own.

Shipwreck, Flint, Cover Girl, Scarlett, and Torpedo disembarked from the small plane and followed the signs toward the marina. Mr. Theophilus was to pick them up in his yacht and take them to his mansion on the south side of the island. They would get settled, and in the morning they would take the same boat several miles south to the small unnamed island where Lady Jaye had found the Cobra base.

The five Joes carried their gear down the dock toward the largest of the boats moored there. Flint looked up at the various names painted decoratively on the sides. _The Ariadne, Eros, Aeolus, Poseidon_… all Greek gods and myths, of course. The most impressive ship at port was a 124 foot Fraser Yacht with all the trimmings. The name on the side read _Galatea_. Flint was trying to place the reference when he heard someone calling him. He looked up, and there on the deck stood Lady Jaye, leaning over the rail and waving.

"Hey guys! Come on up!" Lady Jaye's head disappeared from view and they continued toward the short gangplank leading to the yacht.

"Wow…this Mr. Theo-whatsit must be loaded," Shipwreck whispered to Torpedo.

"Yeah, well… I wonder why he's working with the government. Who is he?" Torpedo responded.

Cover Girl answered, "He's independently wealthy, and he's in the right place to help us out." She looked over the boat, eyeing the top deck and wondering if it had a pool. "I hear he's also got some close connections in the Greek government. He must have offered his resources for this."

Lady Jaye walked out of a doorway and stood at the top of the gangplank. She was wearing a green bikini with a sheer wraparound skirt. She smiled and said, "Hey, glad you made it. Alex is in the shower, but he told me to show you around the boat. Come on up."

"Alex, huh?" Scarlett said, walking toward her friend.

"We've been working together for two weeks. I'm not going to call him Mr. Theophilus all the time." Lady Jaye led the way onto the boat.

Flint frowned, following the others up to the deck. He didn't know why it bothered him to know that Lady Jaye was working with this man…he hadn't even met him yet. Sure, Flint worked with her often enough that they had become good friends, but there was no reason to be feeling jealous. If the situation had been reversed and he had been working with a beautiful woman…He shook his head. It wasn't the same. He almost lost track of the group as they headed into the main cabin and down the hallway toward the small rooms containing bunks and bathrooms.

"You can leave most of your gear at the mansion, but we'll probably be spending a lot of time on the yacht. It's a three hour trip to the Cobra base, so we'll just stay on board most of the time instead of heading back each night." Lady Jaye turned to Scarlett and Cover Girl. "Why don't you two take this room, and the boys can divide themselves up in the others."

"Where are you sleeping?" Flint asked.

Lady Jaye raised her eyebrows at the hard edge in his voice. "I've got a room down the hall." She missed the small smile that passed between the other two women as they entered their cabin. It was spacious enough for their needs, as they would be spending most of their time on deck anyway. They tossed down their bags and joined the group again.

Flint was telling Shipwreck and Torpedo to bunk together, which gave him a room of his own. "Aw, that's not fair, Flint," Shipwreck whined.

"Next time you lead a mission, you can have your own room," Flint replied, picking up Shipwreck's bag and hurling it through the doorway. He strode to the next room down the hall and jerked open the door.

"And that would be _my_ room," Lady Jaye told him. He managed a quick glance around the space before she pulled the door shut and motioned him across the hall. Unlike the other rooms, he noticed that hers had a large double bed instead of bunks. The sheets were mussed and there had been clothes haphazardly strewn on the floor. He followed her lead without a word and walked into his own room. He was somewhat relieved to see that it, too, had a double bed, which implied that hers wasn't the master bedroom, at least.

"Which one is Mr. Theophilus' room?" Flint asked, emerging into the hallway again. Lady Jaye pointed to the door at the end of the hall. It appeared to lead to a room that was placed at the front of the yacht. He gave a grunt in response and walked back to the stairs leading abovedeck.

Lady Jaye leaned over to Scarlett and asked quietly, "What's wrong with Flint?"

"No idea," was her airy reply.

The group went back upstairs. The main deck held a kitchen, dining room, and living area in the center cabin with the pilothouse at the very front. Around the sides were wide walkways leading to the open front deck. Lady Jaye gave them the quick tour then led them to the rear deck, which had a small pool surrounded by chairs. They sat, and Flint noticed an open book lying on the table next to Lady Jaye, as well as a half-finished drink, condensation still running down the sides of the glass.

"Let me tell you a little about the Cobra base," Lady Jaye started. "It's on a small island about forty miles south of Astipalea. As far as we know, there's nothing there but the ruins of an old temple. Cobra had apparently visited other islands first; an archaeologist called in to report that his dig had been interrupted by soldiers wearing blue and red uniforms. That was just over two weeks ago." She leaned back and took a sip of her drink. "Anyone want anything?" She asked.

She walked to the minibar at the back of the cabin and passed out beverages, then sat down and continued her story. "Duke sent me down here as soon as the Greek authorities contacted us. Alex and I visited every island in the area, and we finally found the base just a few days ago. I don't know how long they've been there, but probably not more than a week. Apparently they found the island they were looking for," she shrugged, "but I have no idea what they want there."

"Knowing Cobra, it's probably some old artifact that they're hoping to sell," Torpedo suggested.

"Or use," Scarlett added. "Is there some significance to the temple on that island?"

"Alex doesn't think so," Lady Jaye replied.

"And is Alex and authority on Greek history?" Flint asked with a sneer.

Lady Jaye glared at him. "As a matter of fact, that's why the government so readily accepted his help. He's written two books on mythology and artifacts. He should be able to help us figure out what Cobra is after." She looked up and broke into a wide smile.

Flint turned in his chair to look up at the figure that had emerged from the doorway. Alexios Theophilus was an imposing man. He was tall and well-built, with black curly hair that fell just over his ears. His eyes were a deep blue, almost startling in contrast to long, dark lashes. He smiled, revealing brilliant white teeth set against full, sensual lips.

"Oh my goodness," Scarlett breathed, feeling her heart flutter. He was, as Cover Girl had said, drop dead gorgeous. Her eyes traveled over his muscular physique, emphasized by the khaki shorts and tight black shirt he wore.

"Welcome, GI Joe," he said in a rich bass voice. "Please, make yourselves at home while you are with me. I trust that Alison has shown you your rooms and that they are comfortable?"

Scarlett and Cover Girl could only nod, unable to find their voices. Flint, Shipwreck, and Torpedo all wore identical expressions, looking like they had eaten something sour. Lady Jaye stood and walked over to him. "Of course—it's wonderful," she told him. "We're really very grateful for your assistance."

He asked her something in Greek, and she glanced back over her shoulder at the others. She answered him with a laugh, and turned to introduce the members of the group. He shook each of their hands as he was given their names, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he felt Flint's crushing grip.

"Pleasure to be working with you," Flint growled through clenched teeth.

They took their chairs again. Flint gripped his drink and took a long swallow as he watched Alexios sit next to Lady Jaye, close enough that their knees were touching. He barely paid attention as they made plans for the next few days.

In a short while, the yacht had pulled out from port and was on its way around the island and to Alexios' mansion.


	2. Eavesdropping

The Joes sat comfortably around the pool on the back deck. Lady Jaye had suggested everyone change into swimsuits as the trip to the mansion would take almost two hours. Shipwreck and Torpedo had jumped into the water at once and were now sunning themselves and relaxing.

Scarlett had tried to get Lady Jaye far enough away from the others to have a private conversation, but Flint hadn't left her side for the eintire trip. With Alexios in the pilothouse, he was relaxed and behaving more like his usual self.

"So, Lady Jaye, admit it—you missed me." Flint leaned back in his chair and gave Lady Jaye a lopsided grin.

She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, Flint. I've been on a yacht in the Mediterranean for two weeks. I really missed being on base with you. The PT, the food, the paperwork…" She closed her eyes, relaxing into the padded lounge.

Flint sat staring at her for a few more moments, then rose with a sigh and headed to the pool. Lady Jaye cracked an eye open and watched him leave, then glanced over at Scarlett, raising her eyebrows in question. Scarlett took the opportunity to take Flint's vacated chair, and Cover Girl moved her own over to sit on her other side.

Lady Jaye looked from one to the other. "Yes?" she asked.

Cover Girl held her hands open wide. "What? Can't we innocently flank you?"

"You want to ask me about Alex. I can tell," Lady Jaye replied.

Scarlett lowered her voice. "Oh, is there something we need to know?"

Lady Jaye smiled. "Nope."

"Oh, come on, Jaye. The man barely even registered that Scarlett and I are female. He was watching you the entire time we were all talking," Cover Girl argued.

"And he is very good-looking," Scarlett added.

"I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition," Lady Jaye laughed. She waited for one of her friends to finish the joke, but they both simply stared at her. She shrugged, leaned back, and closed her eyes.

"You're not getting out of this," Scarlett told her.

"Incoming," Cover Girl whispered.

The two girls looked up as Flint walked back over, dripping water. He grabbed a towel from the stack nearby and stood in front of Lady Jaye's chair, rubbing the towel vigorously over his arms and chest. He ran it over his head, leaving his hair mussed, and glanced down at Lady Jaye. When he saw that her eyes were still apparently closed, he shrugged, walked to the other side of the pool, and sat down near Shipwreck and Torpedo.

"Show off," Lady Jaye muttered.

"Was he posing?" Cover Girl asked with a giggle.

"He's always like that," Lady Jaye told her.

"Not in front of us," Scarlett said.

The thrum of the engines changed, and they looked up to see that they were nearing their destination. The area was mountainous and utterly enchanting. White houses spiraled up the hills, and where the land met the water, wide beaches shone in the sun. Ahead of them stood a house surrounded by trees with a lush lawn that stretched down to the water. The house itself was in the classic Mediterranean style, with an almost church-like look to it. A tall stone wall in the front lent shade to the cobbled courtyard. The rest of the house rose behind the wall to a tall two stories. The roof was flat with one blue domed room atop the rest.

"Wow. That's a fantastic house," Torpedo commented.

They moored at the dock, grabbed their bags, and headed inside. A servant opened the door to reveal an airy interior decorated with statues, artifacts, and paintings depicting ancient Greece.

Alexios showed them to the guest rooms upstairs so that they could shower and change, and they met again in a short time in the dining room. A few servants bustled about, serving wine and salad. They spoke to Alexios and Lady Jaye in Greek, and seemed completely unperturbed at the appearance of the five new guests from America. Shipwreck tried to engage one of the women in conversation, but the little Greek he knew was rather limited, and she walked away with a haughty sniff.

After dinner they sat on a balcony at the side of the house, which had a view of both the ocean and mountains. They discussed plans for the following day more thoroughly, but as they were only planning to observe Cobra's movements for now, there wasn't a lot of information to cover.

Alexios politely drew them into conversation, asking each of the Joes a little about themselves. He seemed genuinely interested in Torpedo's description of growing up in Hawaii and Shipwreck's tales of fighting river pirates. Scarlett and Cover Girl gave much briefer versions of their backgrounds, but Cover Girl couldn't help but mention that she had met Alexios before.

He seemed somewhat surprised. "How did you become a GI Joe?" he asked.

"Modeling wasn't very fulfilling," she answered with a shrug.

Alexios turned to Flint. "And where did you grow up?" he asked politely.

"Kansas," Flint answered flatly.

Their host drew his brows together, then his face lit up in recognition. "Ah. Like in 'The Wizard of Oz?'"

Flint frowned. "Yeah. Just like."

"I see," Alexios answered when it became obvious that Flint was unwilling to say more. He turned to Lady Jaye. "Such diverse backgrounds. Alison has told me already of growing up in her family's home in Massachusetts. I was surprised to learn that she gave up a life like this—" he gestured around him, "to join your army." He smiled at her, but she was watching her teammates, who knew very little of her background.

Shipwreck's eyes widened. "Whaddya mean, a life like this? Jaye, have you been holding out on us?"

"You don't know? But her family is—" he broke off mid-sentence, glancing in her direction. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"

Lady Jaye shook her head. "It's okay. We just don't talk about our backgrounds much. As you say, they're very diverse." She stood and walked to the side table. Grabbing the wine bottle, she refilled everyone's glasses and returned to her seat.

"So, I hear you've written two books," Scarlett said to change the subject.

"Yes. I've done research on several temples in this area. I even mapped out a dig for the temple near this Cobra base as part of my graduate work at the University of Oxford."

Flint choked on his wine. Torpedo slapped him on the back and asked, "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah. It just took me by surprise. I was at Oxford, myself." He met Alexios' gaze.

"And what did you study?" the man asked, staring back.

"English Literature."

The others were staring at him, mouths open.

Alexios stood, arms wide. "Then you must see the library!" he exclaimed.

They headed to a huge room on the opposite side of the house. All four walls contained floor-to-ceiling bookcases, interrupted at intervals with windows. Flint wandered around, noting with grudging respect that the collection was a good one. There were many first editions and autographed hard-covers. All genres and subjects were represented, though books on Greek history took up a third of the shelves.

Lady Jaye approached Flint as he was thumbing through an ancient copy of Shakespeare's Hamlet. "I never knew you went to Oxford," she said.

"I never knew your family was rich," he replied gruffly.

She shrugged. "I guess we've never talked much about our pasts." She paused a moment, choosing her words. "Flint, I don't know if I've done something to make you angry, but you don't seem to be yourself. Is anything wrong?"

Flint placed the book carefully back on the shelf and turned to her, glancing toward the others, who were grouped in a corner. Alexios was showing them pictures of temple ruins and explaining what the one on the island was like. He looked back at Lady Jaye. "Nothing's wrong."

"Oh, come on. You've been acting strangely since you arrived. What gives?"

"Nothing. I just…" he looked down at his feet. "I don't like the idea of Alexios taking advantage of you…" he muttered.

Lady Jaye's eyebrows rose. "Excuse me? Taking advantage…of all the…I appreciate the concern, Flint, but the last time I checked, I was an adult and perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She turned and strode over to the others to join in the conversation.

Flint sighed. She was right. Whatever had happened, he didn't have the right to judge. Still he felt his jaw clench as Alexios made room for her in the circle, standing close to her, leaning in to make a joke... He walked over and stood on her other side, feigning interest in the subject.

"And there is a room underground just like this one," Alexios was saying. "We're not sure if it's an oracle room, but it had the look of one."

"Oracle room? What's that?" Torpedo asked.

"The ancient Greeks believed it was a place where one could speak directly to the gods. The most famous is the Oracle at Delphi, of course, but they were scattered all over the islands."

Scarlett looked closely at the picture. "What did they speak to the gods about? Petitions for rain, that kind of thing?"

Alexios shook his head. "No, that was the priest's job. The oracle was available to anyone who wished to know his or her future, although they needed to speak through one of the temple's priestesses, of course. Interestingly enough, archaeologists have found an explanation for the Oracle at Delphi's popularity." He nodded for Lady Jaye to finish the story.

"Ethene gas," she said.

"What?" Shipwreck exclaimed.

Lady Jaye smiled. "The priestess was inhaling Ethylene on a regular basis. It was being released from a crack in the ground in the oracle room. It induces a euphoric state and can cause mild hallucinations."

Shipwreck shook his head in wonder. "Those wacky Greeks," he laughed. He caught Alexios' frown and amended, "Present company excluded, of course."

"Well, this is a different temple entirely, and I can't imagine that Cobra is interested in gas," Scarlett noted.

Alexios tapped his fingers against the spine of the book, then spoke slowly. "There are still some people today who travel to the oracles to ask questions of the gods." At the others' incredulous looks, he continued, "Just as there are people in Britain who still worship at the standing stones."

"We won't guess what Cobra is after tonight," Flint said. "I suggest we go to bed and get an early start in the morning."

"Yeah, with the nine hour time difference, we missed an entire night's sleep," Torpedo agreed. "Let's not get too early of a start, eh?"

"Of course--I should have thought of it," Alexios responded. He turned to Lady Jaye. "Let's leave your friends to their beds. Dmitri should have our evening coffee ready. Shall we?" He led her from the room, and the others followed.

"Evening coffee?" Shipwreck whispered to Torpedo, nudging him in the ribs.

"Yeah, and what was that about Jaye's family?" Torpedo responded.

"Mind your own business," Cover Girl said, heading up the stairway.

"Okay, gossip girl. Like you aren't going to pump her mercilessly for information later," Shipwreck shot back.

"That's my prerogative as another female," Cover Girl told him seriously.

Scarlett ignored the bickering, pulling Flint aside before he entered his room. "Flint, if you've got feelings for Lady Jaye, you should let her know. This jealous streak isn't exactly endearing," she said quietly.

Flint glared down at her. "I'm not jealous," he growled.

"Oh, so you're acting like a jerk for some other reason?"

He pulled his arm out of her grip. "I am not acting like—" he stopped, and had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "Maybe I am acting a bit like a jerk. I'm just worried about her." He ran his hands through his hair. "I don't want to see her get hurt."

"Flint, I hate to say it, but if the situation were reversed—"

"I know, I know," he interrupted. "But I'm just being protective of my partner. I am not jealous."

She turned away with a wink. "Whatever you say."

Flint walked into his room, feeling tired and angry. He wondered what Lady Jaye and Alexios were talking about over their "evening coffee." Or if they were doing something other than talking. As he dressed for bed, his emotions turned from sour to worse. He was mad at her and mad at himself. He lay in bed for a while, but was too wound up to sleep.

Rising from bed and pulling a on a t-shirt over his boxers, Flint made his way downstairs. The servants had apparently retired, as there was no one moving in the house. He wandered the rooms, finally heading back toward the balcony where they had sat earlier, thinking that they were probably there. Sure enough, Lady Jaye and Alexios were seated on chairs, looking out over the landscape. The moon was full, giving an ethereal air to the mountains and water.

Flint could hear their voices, but as they were speaking in Greek, he had no idea of what they were saying to each other. Flint stood near the open doorway, simply listening to the melodious sound of Lady Jaye's voice. He jerked as he heard his name in the flow of words, but the conversation continued. It must have been his imagination. He turned to leave, but stopped when he saw Alexios reach for something on a table behind him.

To Flint's horror, Alexios produced a small jewelry box, which he handed to Lady Jaye. She opened it, looking from the box to Alexios and back. After another short exchange of words, she carefully took out a ring. She shook her head, but Alexios took the ring and put it on her finger. She leaned in to kiss him…

Flint could watch no more. He silently returned to his room, head spinning. Sleep was a long time coming.


	3. Overboard and Underground

In the morning the Joes and Alexios headed out in the yacht toward the Cobra base. Alexios piloted the craft again, leaving the others to relax on deck during the journey. Shipwreck went back to sleep on a lounge chair and the others simply sat around to talk.

"So, Lady Jaye, tell us more about your family," Torpedo suggested.

She grimaced and replied, "We're just your average Americans. Really. My mother wanted me to be a trophy wife to some wealthy businessman, but she's come to terms with my career. More or less. My brothers and I get along fine, my father and I have a normal, healthy relationship…there's not much more to tell."

"But Alexios said you gave up the lifestyle of the rich and famous—"

"Hey, so did I," Cover Girl interrupted. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well, no…" Torpedo shrugged. "Guess I'm outnumbered, huh, Flint?"

"Hmph." Flint was looking at a magazine and pretending not to be a part of the conversation.

"Geez, get some coffee or something," Lady Jaye told him.

He looked up at her, but instead of the angry look she was expecting, there was only sadness in his eyes. Taken aback, she stammered, "I'm sorry—I just meant that you look tired…"

He shook his head silently and looked back down at the magazine.

Scarlett came to her rescue and changed the subject, telling the others about her brothers and what they were like. They spent the rest of the trip trading anecdotes about their families and eating a leisurely lunch. Just before noon they arrived at the island and drifted far enough offshore not to draw attention.

They planned on spending the day observing the movements of the Cobra soldiers. Depending on what they saw and the number of troops present, that night they would try to take the yacht's small rowboat to shore to explore the temple.

The team took shifts, two at a time, to sit with binoculars and watch the Cobra activity. The rest of them swam in the pool or lounged on deck, in case Cobra was watching them as well. Theirs wasn't the only boat in the water, although most of the other yachts were on the move. Still, Cobra didn't seem to be suspicious…yet.

Lady Jaye and Shipwreck took the third watch, but Cobra didn't seem to be doing anything. At least not that they could see. Although most of the temple was aboveground, the soldiers, led by Destro and the Baroness, spent most of their time in whatever space lay beyond the stairs leading into darkness under the earth.

"So, doll, what's the latest gossip?" Shipwreck leaned in closer to Lady Jaye and set down his binoculars.

"I don't know; I've been here for two weeks," she replied.

"I meant with you," he said. "That Alexios seems to like you a lot."

Lady Jaye shrugged. "So?"

"So is there something between you two?"

"How is that any of your business?" she asked curtly.

"Well, for starters, if there's nothing going on, I thought maybe you and me could—"

"You and she could what?" Flint's steely voice cut into the conversation.

Shipwreck looked up, startled. "Ah...well, I figure that rank and protocol don't matter, ya know? I'm Navy, she's Army, so…" He smiled. "It's not like it would be for you—I mean, you're her superior officer. I, however, am in no way her superior."

Lady Jaye laughed. "You got that right."

Shipwreck laughed along with her, lowering his voice. "Yeah, so, then that's settled. I notice you have a cabin of your own—URK!" His breath left him in a rush as Flint picked him up and casually tossed him over the rail. He hit the water with a splash and came up sputtering.

The others looked up in shock. Scarlett was the first to react, grabbing a life preserver and rushing to the rail. She tossed it to the sailor, who grabbed it and started swimming toward the ladder at the back of the yacht. The redhead turned to Flint, who stood fuming, eyes locked on Lady Jaye.

Lady Jaye was looking at Flint like she'd never seen him before. She rose from the deck chair, handed him the binoculars, and strode across the deck to sit with Torpedo and Alexios.

Cover Girl helped Shipwreck back on deck. The sailor turned to Flint, opened his mouth to speak, thought better of it, and dove into the pool to rinse the salt water off. Scarlett took a few steps closer to the warrant officer.

"Flint, you had better watch yourself," Scarlett warned him. "If Hawk hears about the way you've been acting, you're going to be in trouble."

He looked over at her, trying to act nonchalant. "Like Shipwreck's never been thrown overboard before." He leaned his elbows on the rail and raised the binoculars. "Besides, he was being an asshole."

Scarlett frowned. "That's not the point. You need to resolve your issues with Lady Jaye before we get back to base. If you're like this around Duke, the shit's gonna hit the fan."

"There are no issues to resolve," Flint told her. He sighed. "Besides, she might not even be going back with us."

Scarlett raised her eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"

Flint shrugged.

Scarlett grabbed the other pair of binoculars and took over Shipwreck's post. "Flint--you know, normal people_ talk_ about things that bother them."

Flint remained silent.

Near the pool, the others were chatting about Greek mythology, shooting the occasional glance toward Flint. Alexios was telling them the tale of Hephaistos and his second marriage to Athena, who was an unwilling bride. "He tried to force her into the marriage bed, and they fought. In the battle, Hephaistos' seed was spilled, which gave birth to Erikhthonios, the first King of Athens."

Cover Girl laughed. "Are you serious? Gross. Guess that will never be a Disney movie! Did she escape?"

"Yes, she did," he answered. He smiled and continued, "Even among gods, however, marriage is considered sacred, so most stories say they remained married." He chuckled. "Of course, she is also considered a virgin goddess…"

"Poor guy," Torpedo said. "Who would invent all these stories and have the characters be miserable all the time? Why not make them happy?"

"Without the drama, any story would be pretty boring," Cover Girl replied.

Shipwreck pulled himself out of the pool and walked over to join them. "I could do with a little less drama around here," he said, nodding at Flint.

Lady Jaye's brows furrowed. "He's not normally like this," she told Alexios. "I don't know what's wrong with him." Shipwreck, Torpedo, and Cover Girl all looked at each other. Cover Girl rolled her eyes and Torpedo hid a smile.

"Yeah, I wonder," Torpedo said, pointedly looking at Lady Jaye.

Lady Jaye stared back at Torpedo, missing Alexios' eyes widening in understanding. He looked at Cover Girl, who gave him a small nod of confirmation. "Ah, I see," he murmured.

"What?" Lady Jaye turned her head back toward Alexios.

He put his hands up and said, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Fine. I'm going swimming." Lady Jaye stalked off to the pool and dove in.

The other four put their heads together and began to talk.

* * *

Night finally fell. The Joes agreed that it looked safe enough to attempt to sneak into the room under the temple. Cobra, as usual, was lax in posting guards, and there appeared to be no sentry at the top of the stairs.

A few hours after midnight, Flint, Lady Jaye, Alexios, Shipwreck, and Scarlett boarded the small dinghy from the back of the yacht. Torpedo and Cover Girl would watch from onboard, and would flash a signal if it looked like any Cobra soldiers awoke in the night. They rowed as silently as possible and pulled the boat to shore at the base of a small hill, hidden from sight.

They reached the top of the stairs without alerting anyone in the camp. Shipwreck stationed himself in the shadows behind a pillar, ready to give warning if he or the two Joes on the Yacht noticed any activity.

Alexios led the way down the stairs and into the large main cavern. The area was almost undisturbed. Using one shuttered flashlight to find the entrance, they headed to another room at the end of a short passage. It was obviously where Cobra had been working. Machinery lay scattered along the floor, and work lights were strung on poles around the exterior walls.

They examined the equipment but could find no indication of its intended use. "This was the room we thought might contain an oracle. You see the spring?" Alexios pointed at a small pool of water contained within a shallow stone basin. "It may very well have been considered holy enough to be used as an oracle."

"Well, Cobra's definitely trying to do something with it," Flint said, lifting a bundle of wires from the stone floor. "Do they really think they can talk to the gods? That seems far-fetched, even for Cobra."

"We've been more successful than you think."

The team whipped around only to see Dr. Mindbender standing at the entryway, flanked by twelve Crimson Guardsmen holding rifles at the ready. He gave a sinister laugh. "You see, we knew you would come down here tonight."

"Oh, and what happens next?" Scarlett asked sarcastically.

"Good question. We haven't refined the machinery yet, but I would say at a guess that you all get tied up, your teammates aboveground get captured, and you are all sent to the nearest Cobra prison." He motioned to the Crimson Guards. Four of them stepped forward with ropes while the others kept their guns trained on the prisoners.

"You're outnumbered three to one," Mindbender said. "Please drop your weapons on the ground."

Flint grimaced, but placed his rifle at his feet. Scarlett and Lady Jaye followed suit. The three Joes and Alexios allowed their hands to be bound, and they were led back into the main chamber. The guards took the women down one corridor and the men down another. At the end of each was a small room with a recently constructed door attached to the stone frame.

Mindbender gloated at Scarlett and Lady Jaye as the guards shoved them toward their cell. One of the guards pushed Lady Jaye a little harder than necessary, and she fell on her side, glaring back up at her captors. The guard laughed and bent to pull her to her feet.

"Wait a moment," Mindbender ordered. He leaned over Lady Jaye and gripped her dog tags, which had fallen from under the collar of her shirt. Mindbender fingered the ring that was threaded on the chain. "Interesting."

He stood and directed the guards. "Put the redhead in the cell. This one comes with me."

Lady Jaye struggled in his grip until the other guard prodded her with his rifle. She shot him a glare, but allowed herself to be dragged back down the hallway and into the oracle room.

"What do you want with me?"

Mindbender smiled. "I don't know how you got it, but that ring was one of the missing pieces," he told her. "It is connected to this temple, and should make the oracle work perfectly now."

"So take the stupid ring and let me go," she spat.

"Oh, no," he laughed. "The Baroness has been acting as our priestess." He rolled his eyes. "She's not enamored of the position. You will be her replacement."

Lady Jaye looked at him, mouth hanging open. "You're kidding."

Mindbender didn't answer, snapping the chain holding the ring and her dog tags. He let the rest fall and held the ring up to the light. "Perfect," he murmured. Stepping closer, he lifted her bound hands and placed the ring on her finger. He turned to the machinery and flipped a few switches; lights came on, and a low and annoying buzz echoed in the small room.

The basin began glowing with a soft blue light. Lady Jaye stared at it, fascinated. She took a step toward it but stopped, glaring at Mindbender. He shoved her forward, and she stumbled into the water. The blue light enveloped her completely…


	4. Possibilities

Lady Jaye heard Mindbender's voice as if coming from a great distance. "Show me how Cobra can rule the world." She tried to think clearly, but felt muzzy-headed. _I thought this was supposed to show the future, not how to alter it… _And with that thought, the scenery shifted.

Before her, glowing lines branched out into darkness, shifting and overlapping. Some of the lines ended abruptly while others continued into the distance. Tentatively, she reached out and touched one of the lines of light. In front of her, the darkness was overlaid with a scene in which figures moved. The image grew larger.

It was like watching a movie. The other Joes were fighting their way out of the underground temple. She felt a thrill of hope as Flint destroyed the machinery surrounding the pool. Lady Jaye watched herself cross the main cavern and run up the stairs, followed by the others. They emerged into early dawn. The Cobra base was in chaos as the soldiers scrambled to defend themselves from the Joes who were pouring out of Sharcs beached on the shore. She watched as a Cobra soldier raised a rifle and pointed it at Shipwreck. Lady Jaye cried out a warning, but he couldn't hear her. The shot took Shipwreck in the back, and he fell with a wordless cry. _No! This can't be the future,_ Lady Jaye thought, stretching her hand out as if to stop the motion of the characters before her.

Her hand inadvertently touched a spot farther down the same line, and the scenery shifted again. She saw herself being dragged into a lab by Tomax and Xamot, who strapped her to a table. Something moved over her, and her body began to change. She watched herself struggle for air as the Twins laughed…

Lady Jaye pulled her hand away from the glowing line. _Did I just see myself get turned into a mermaid? And Shipwreck is dead…_ She shook her head, staring at the other lines. _Those must be other futures, there must be thousands of them…_

This time, she purposefully touched a line at a point farther away from her, near where it ended. Another scene resolved itself in front of her. In it, she saw herself chained above a stone-walled pit while men dressed in animal masks cavorted around her. They were lowering her toward some sort of creature at the bottom of the well. Its tentacles reached up toward her legs. Lady Jaye gasped as she watched herself pulled into the water. She snatched her hand back and the blackness surrounded her again. _That explains why this line ends so abruptly_, she thought with a shudder. _These aren't showing Cobra's possible futures…they're showing mine._

She looked at the lines arrayed before her. Curiosity made her reach toward the end of a much longer line. She was old. Someone was sitting with her, holding her hand on a porch swing in front of a nice home. Lady Jaye studied her elderly self and tried to figure out who the other person was. He was still distinguished looking, despite the wrinkles and grey hair. Suddenly, the older version of herself clutched her chest and gasped. The man next to her turned in concern and said, "Alison?" Lady Jaye pulled her hand back again, unable to watch more.

She picked another one that was long, but reached for a spot about a third of the way down instead of the end. Her stomach gave a small flutter as she saw herself aged a few years, standing in a nursery. She was holding an infant and singing softly. _Well, at least some of my possible futures are happy_, she thought. A man walked into the room and put his arms around her, kissing her on the neck. Her other self looked up at the man with a wide smile. It took Lady Jaye a moment to recognize him out of uniform, and she drew her hand back again, in surprise this time. _Flint and me married with kids? Well, I certainly looked happy enough. But which futures are more likely than others?_ _And how do I get out of here?_ Lady Jaye looked around, but there was nothing but the darkness and the lines. She tried to picture herself back in the oracle room, but nothing changed. She sighed. _Well, as long as I'm here…_She reached out toward another line at random.

* * *

In one of the small cells, Flint paced, trying to think of a plan to escape. Alexios sat against the wall, hoping to remember something about the architecture of the temple that might prove useful. After a while, Flint stopped and sat against the wall opposite. 

Alexios was the first to break the silence. "It must be difficult fighting Cobra day in and day out."

Flint regarded the man for a moment before replying. "You get used to it. None of us would be on the team if we weren't prepared to make sacrifices."

Alexios shook his head. "To the exclusion of all else?"

"Not everything else. It's not like we don't have lives outside the team."

"That's not what it sounded like to me." Alexios shrugged. "It's all Alison would talk about. The team means a great deal to her."

"Not enough, apparently," Flint mumbled in reply.

Alexios laughed. "I think you have underestimated her dedication."

Flint scowled, leaning forward. "Don't tell me you didn't try to convince her to leave the team."

"Oh, I tried," he replied. "She wasn't interested."

"You gave her a ring," Flint accused.

"You saw that?" Alexio's eyebrows rose. "It was simply a token. An artifact from this temple, in fact. It was nothing more than a memento."

"A memento?" Flint stood, clenching his fists. "Did she mean that little to you then? I guess you must have women falling for you all the time, but rich or not, she deserves better than you."

Alexios stood and faced Flint. "Like you? Alison spoke very highly of you, but you haven't lived up to your reputation."

"I'm not trying to impress anyone. I'm trying to stop Cobra."

"And your feelings are getting in the way."

The men looked over as the cell door opened. Scarlett glanced at the two men standing face to face, fists raised, and stepped between them. "Stop it, you two. Let's get out of here. Lady Jaye needs our help."

"What? What happened?" Flint asked.

Scarlett turned toward the door. "I don't know. Doctor Mindbender took her."

The three of them ran down the hall toward the main room and into the cavern with the oracle. They stopped short at the sight of Mindbender standing next to an immobile Lady Jaye. She was surrounded by a glowing blue light. Mindbender was shouting questions at her, but she wasn't acknowledging him.

Flint growled and rushed the machinery, hitting the main console with his broad shoulder. It toppled, landing in a shower of sparks. Mindbender turned, bringing up is weapon, but Scarlett disarmed him with a kick. She stepped in and grabbed him around the throat.

Alexios and Flint both ran to Lady Jaye as the light faded and she fell. She crumpled into Flint's arms and he lifted her carefully, cradling her to his chest and stepping out of the water. "Lady Jaye?" he whispered. Her eyelids fluttered and opened.

"Flint?" Her voice was weak, but Flint set her down and she stood, leaning against him. She smiled up at him and said, "I knew you'd get me out."

"Of course," he replied. "You didn't think we'd leave you here?"

She shook her head. "No, I mean I actually _knew_…" She took a step back and looked around the room. "Oh, man. This is weird. I'm going to have déjà vu for the rest of my life."

"It worked!" Mindbender yelled. "What did you see?"

Lady Jaye rolled her eyes. "Like I'd tell you. Thanks for the insight into all of Cobras plans, though." She stepped closer and smiled. "Just so you know, Cobra never wins."

Mindbender scowled as Flint tied his hands and feet. They left him there, taking the time to destroy the rest of the machinery, and headed up the stairs. It was nearly daylight, and the Cobra camp was beginning to stir. They paused in the last of the shadows.

"What did Mindbender mean?" Scarlett whispered to Lady Jaye. "Did you really see the future?"

Lady Jaye still looked a little dazed. "I saw a lot of futures." She gave her head a small shake and whispered back, "By the way, I think you can stop worrying about whether Duke likes you or not."

Scarlett's eyes opened wide. "What? You saw us—?"

"There you are!" Shipwreck emerged from his hiding place and crouched in front of the group. "We were getting worried. The Flagg is here and they've sent out reinforcements. What happened?"

"No time," Flint replied, pointing. "They're here, and Cobra's sounding the alarm."

The companions stood as the Sharcs landed on the beach. With a cry of "Yo Joe!" they leapt into battle, surprising the Cobra soldiers who were facing the other way. The first few fell with hardly a struggle, and the Joes and Alexios armed themselves with the Cobra weapons.

Lady Jaye was keeping a sharp lookout on the rocks above, and was ready when the soldier returning from sentry duty stood up from his hiding place. He took aim at Shipwreck, but before he could shoot, she sent a blast of laser fire that knocked the Cobra off his feet.

Shipwreck jumped, turning to see where she was firing. "Dang, Jaye—how did you know he was there?"

She smiled. "I'll tell you all about it later."

The battle was short-lived. With the additional Joe troops, Cobra didn't stand a chance. The soldiers were disarmed and the camp disassembled, although in the confusion Destro and the Baroness managed to escape. It was still a victory, though, and that was good enough.

Duke and his back-up team surrounded Lady Jaye and the others, making sure that they were all right and that the Cobra plans had been well and truly foiled. Their CO was told the short version of what had happened, and he shook his head in disbelief. "They must have given you drugs, or used hypnosis, or…" Duke trailed off, looking skeptically at Lady Jaye.

Shipwreck came to her defense. "She knew there was a Cobra soldier hiding above us. He would have shot one of us for sure if she hadn't been ready for him."

Duke nodded slowly. "Well, if that's the case, I'd be interested to hear what else you saw." He turned to the others. "I suppose we don't have to head back right away. Let's get a little well-deserved R and R and we'll leave tomorrow." Alexios graciously invited the team back to his mansion, and Duke readily agreed.

Duke dragged Lady Jaye along with him toward his Sharc. "I understand we've got a couple of hours of travel time. Let's chat." She sighed, casting a wistful glance toward the yacht, but followed.

Lady Jaye answered most of Duke's questions, but kept back the private things she had witnessed. She had to repeatedly insist that she wasn't now a repository of all of Cobra's future plans, and after he heard about a few of their most outlandish ones, he quieted down, concentrating on driving the craft and digesting the bits and pieces she had given him.

They parked on the beach near Alexios' mansion and headed up the slope to the house. The others were already there and the party was in full swing. Lady Jaye headed up to her guest room to change.

* * *

Flint was trying to enjoy the party, but was swept into a business discussion with Duke, who wanted a more thorough report on what had happened. They ignored the noise and merriment around them as Flint rushed through the telling. He looked around the room every few minutes, but saw no sign of Lady Jaye. Duke kept asking more questions, and finally Flint growled, "Duke, no offense, but I'm tired and hungry and there's a party going on around us. Can't it wait?" 

Duke looked momentarily taken aback. Then he grinned as if taking in the surroundings for the first time. Scarlett waved from across the room and Duke nodded. "Right. Later." He headed through the throng toward the redhead.

Flint found Lady Jaye sitting with Cover Girl, Shipwreck, and Torpedo on the balcony. They were, of course, quizzing her on what she had seen in the oracle room.

"So, did you see me with anyone special?" Cover Girl eagerly asked.

Lady Jaye laughed. "Yeah, I sure did. Emphasis on 'special.'" She gave Cover Girl a playful punch on the shoulder. "Who knew? Each to their own, I guess."

"What does that mean? Who did you see me with?"

"I'm not saying. I don't want to mess it up."

"Just a hint?" Cover Girl pleaded.

Lady Jaye adamantly shook her head. "No."

Shipwreck leaned in and asked, "Well, what about me? Am I rich and famous in the future?"

"Sorry Shipwreck, but the only time I saw you, you were shot in the back by that Cobra soldier."

He looked stunned. "Wow. You were saving me back on the island? I'm touched."

Flint finally spoke up from his position in the doorway. "What about yourself? You must have seen something about your own love life." He tried to keep his voice light but failed miserably.

Lady Jaye stared at him, taking in every aspect of his voice, stance, and body language. "Yeah, actually, I did," she said with a wry smile.

He crossed his arms and scowled. "And do you and Alexios live happily ever after?"

Cover Girl stood abruptly and pulled Shipwreck with her. "Lets go get some more food," she said, dragging him toward the doorway.

Shipwreck looked back over his shoulder and protested, "But I want to see this!"

Lady Jaye watched them leave and coolly answered, "Why would you think I would end up with Alexios?"

Flint took a step closer. He gestured around him, indicating the mansion and its splendid view. "He's good-looking and filthy rich, for starters. And he obviously likes you."

She stood and faced him. "Flint, if that's all I wanted out of life, I would never have left home." She took a step forward. "The Joes mean more to me than anything I could find here."

"So this was only a fling?"

"Is that why you've been acting like such a jerk? You think I've been sleeping with him?" She chuckled. "That explains a lot."

He frowned. "It's not funny."

"Yes it is," she replied, breaking into a wide grin. "And here I was worried that you were mad at me. I didn't realize you were jealous."

"I wasn't—"

She stared at him, raising an eyebrow, and he finally looked down. "Fine. I was jealous," he mumbled. "Happy?"

"Yes," she replied, closing the remaining distance between them.

He looked up, expecting to see mockery and scorn in her features. Instead, she met his gaze with a look of tenderness. "For someone so smart, you can be really thick sometimes," she whispered. "I was never interested in Alex."

Flint was finally starting to smile. "Oh?" He shifted closer, bringing his body up against hers. She reached a hand up to brush her fingers gently across his jaw. He leaned in and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her and letting days worth of pent-up frustration work itself out of his system.

He finally broke the kiss and leaned back to look her in the eyes. "So, do we have a happy future together?" he asked, voice husky.

"The possibilities are endless." Lady Jaye smiled and leaned in to kiss him again.

* * *

A/N Ok, maybe not so tragic. I'm too much of a romantic, I guess. Maybe next time...  



End file.
